Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[June Atkinson]

Common terns inland

Hi
I saw a tern at Saltwell Park in Gateshead today, flying over the small lake where kids were feeding the geese and swans. Is it usual that they should be so far inland? I thought they were sea birds.
thembwoman

We had two terns flying over the Kite Watching Viewpoint at the Derwent Valley Viaduct at the beginning of June. Surprising to see them overhead!

 

[Mark Newsome]

Just checked with the Coalfields Oracle - Reed Warbler is site first...

Interesting that Steve. Hopefully it'll be the start of a breeding population there. A singing bird in the phragmites at Boldon Business Park lake at the moment is also a site first, and there's enough reed to support a few more pairs there. Reed Warblers used to breed at Primrose LNR, Jarrow, but disappeared from there 3 years ago, mainly due to the vast amounts of rubbish littering the small reedbed and effectively destroying it. Hopefully if South Tyneside Council get their act together and clean up their nature reserve, we might get a few Reed Warblers back.

Common Terns - I think the local breeding birds are quite far ranging. I see the odd one flying over my house heading south overland back towards Washington WWT (about 4 miles away). The ones there obviously don't just fly down the Wear to fish but head north towards the Tyne (and presumably west and south too). Watching the ones at WWWT, there's only a very small window in the middle of the night when birds aren't actively coming and going. No wonder all the chicks look fat 'n happy!

 

[thembwoman]

Thanks for the tern info folks.
A quick question about Washington wildfowl park, is it a big complex, with lots of walking? I'm disabled so need lots of sit-downs. Is it okay for benches and such? Has it somewhere to get refeshments if needs be?
Ta,
thembwoman

 

[StevieEvans]

Thanks for the tern info folks.
A quick question about Washington wildfowl park, is it a big complex, with lots of walking? I'm disabled so need lots of sit-downs. Is it okay for benches and such? Has it somewhere to get refeshments if needs be?
Ta,
thembwoman

Hi
Whole site is on 100 acres with a network of tarmac pathways.
Reasonable place for birders with disabilities / wheelchairs / pushchairs.
Several hides & seats with a nice cafe too.
NB. Lots of building/groundworks going on at moment - dont go when wet!
Washington WWT

----------

Rainton Meadows this afternoon.
4M 1F Ruddy Duck, 1 GCGrebe, Dabchick on 4 pools, Tufted Duck with brood of 9, 4 adult Common Tern, 1 Oystercatcher, no Redshank breeding this year although it seems there are 2 pairs on the Rainton Bridge South building site. All surface vegetation was scraped off there & the water pumped out during spring so we didnt think they'd manage.
Local cunstables visiting damaged hide & 4 Dalmations running wild around and in Pool IV very close to the Dabchicks nest...
Loads of Skylarks still singing & Mipits in display. Songsters included Whitethroat, Reed & Sedge Warblers. Several Emerald Damselflys at pool IV.
1 Painted Lady & 1 Small Tortoiseshell B'flys.
SE

drake Green winged Teal reported on the boundary at Derwent Reservoir

 

[ColinSev]

New to Durham Bird Club

Hello to everyone, I am new to Durham Bird Club and Bird Forum, so please bear with me, while I get to grips with this message board.
Been up to Teesdale area this morning, 1st to Kinninvie wear I saw a Common Buzzard, (wing feathers missing), Treecreeper, and a suprise male Redstart, and Spotted Flycatcher with young, also Stonechat in the valley area towards the moors.
Then decided to move up Teesdale, saw a Red Kite, circling over Egglestone, before breaking a finger in my car door - with the Kite licking its lips over my flowing blood, I decided to make a hasty retreat.

I enjoy reading this boad everyday, and have picked up much info, and I am dead impressed with the photo standards of everyone.

Chees Col (i think this might end up as a reply, havent found a new thread button yet) so apologies.

 

[Mark Newsome]

Welcome to the thread Colin. Nice story about your birding day (except for the broken finger!) Keep 'em coming!

Storm Petrels- we're having a public ringing night at Whitburn CP on Saturday 15 July. It includes a BBQ for anyone interested and would be a great opportunity for a Birdforum members get-together. Attached is a flier with all the details (in PDF format - if this causes anyone a problem, drop me a PM and I'll sort an alternative).
A few things to note:
The weather is a major factor - rain or strong onshore winds means ringing won't be possible (plus the BBQ will be a bug*er to light!)
The petrels can't be 100% guartanteed (though it'd be very unlucky to catch nothing at all).
If you want to come to the BBQ, it's £3 per head but you must let us know in advance.
The final OK on the evening going ahead will be given on here, on the Whitburn and DBC websites and on Birdguides. Check before travelling.

See you all there!

 

[IanF]

Welcome aboard Colin :t:

 

[StevieEvans]

Hello to everyone, I am new to Durham Bird Club and Bird Forum, so please bear with me, while I get to grips with this message board.

Nice report Col
Good to have someone else on board from south of the County, we dont hear that much from Darlo....
Ouch !........Hope it wasnt your focus-wheel finger.... :-O
Steve

 

[StevieEvans]

Bishop Middleham, yesterday evening.

Visited the roadside pools Wader-fest at Stoneybeck for 30mins.

2 Common Sandpiper
3 Green Sandpiper
8 Little ringed Plover (1 fledged juv)
2 Oystercatcher
2 Redshank (1ad 1juv)
2 Curlew
sev Lapwing

also farmland species seem to be doing well:-
15+ Yellow Wagtails (6ad 9+juvs), sev Pied Wags
4 singing Corn Bunting, Tree Spar with juvs in sunken willows, Linnet & juvs
Wood Pigeon & juvs, pr Stock Dove, pr Grey Partridge
single Little Owl in usual oak.
several Swallows & Sand Martins inc juvs, adult Swallows still collecting mud & feathers.


Went on to Castle (swg wks) lake

Viewing from hilltop, surprise find there was an unseasonal female Goldeneye
7-8 Dabchicks, fem Gadwall still with 10small chicks, Little owl called.

came away after only 5 mins though, as a group of visitors were walking right around the lake "feeding the ducks".... better described as scaring off the ducks with a loaf of white sliced...

Called at Coxhoe quarry on way home
3 male Red legged Partridges calling plus a pair being chased off by a male Grey!
2pr Mallard with 5 & 8
1 Coot spooked it & it flew off small pond heading for Stoneybeck
Moorhen with 4 well grown young
Yellowhammer 7 singing males
A Little Owl calling from a large Ash with suitable holes
SE

 

[StevieEvans]

Most Easterly Red Grouse in Durham.

Just a reminder about the Hedleyhope Fell evening.

Where - Hedleyhope Fell, Tow Law.
When - Next Saturday 8th July
Time - Meet in time for 19:00 start - (probably till 22:00)

MEET HERE

Walk Leader - John Raptor Man Olley
Cost - Free
Who - You, Open for all to attend.
(if you can drop a note/txt/email to JO or SE so we can judge how many are going)

Birds - This is the most easterly breeding site for Red Grouse in the County. Both species of eared-owls were hunting the fell this time last year. Barn Owls occur nearby. Possibility of Nightjar, Red-legged Partridge & Black Grouse.
Stonechats should be prominant with others including Lesser Redpoll, Kestrel, Willow Tit, Green Woodpecker also waders & other songbirds.
See you there.
Steve.

 

[StevieEvans]

The Whitburn brick hut gang have been busy again early today....

------------------------

A Little owl early yesterday evening at rear of the petrol garage at Kaysburn, Langley Park.
Checked on a small spruce plantation at 300m/asl last night, to find its seems to have been taken over by Tawny owls. Not a sniff of a long-eared...
39 Curlew in feeding flock on recently cleared hay fields with 1 half grown juvenile at edge of group.



Local bird news.
female Garganey & a Green sand on R.Meadows pool 2
Black Tern at Barmston pond
1 Common sand, 1 Dipper, 1 Dabchick, Grey Wagtail pair feeding second brood in the nest at Lambton Bridge.
single group of 15 young (fully grown) Goosanders on R.Browney.

 

[Mark Newsome]

The Whitburn brick hut gang have been busy again early today.... SE

Sitting in the brick hut and staring at a blank sea for hours on end paid dividends again this morning. An adult Long-tailed Skua flew north at 05.47, followed an hour later by a cracking adult Caspian Tern close in flying south. Pablo Hugelist noticed the bird with the naked eye first and said 'this sandwich terns been having too many pies...!' As soon as I got bins on it, a huge red bill was pointing our way!
After a quick phonecall to our Teesmouth friends, 5 of them got up to Hartlepool in double quick time and saw it fly south along the seafront almost exactly an hour later. Maybe it might settle at Saltholme/Dormans later today?

 

[Gavin Haig]

Sitting in the brick hut and staring at a blank sea for hours on end paid dividends again this morning. An adult Long-tailed Skua flew north at 05.47, followed an hour later by a cracking adult Caspian Tern close in flying south. Pablo Hugelist noticed the bird with the naked eye first and said 'this sandwich terns been having too many pies...!' As soon as I got bins on it, a huge red bill was pointing our way!
After a quick phonecall to our Teesmouth friends, 5 of them got up to Hartlepool in double quick time and saw it fly south along the seafront almost exactly an hour later. Maybe it might settle at Saltholme/Dormans later today?

A heart-warming tale! Diligence rewarded - cracking bird - sharing it around. Great stuff! :clap:

If it wants to fly a long way SW, I for one will not mind.........

 

[patmartin]

Kittiwake colony on South Shields pier

Does anybody know for how long the Kittiwake has been nesting on the pier at South Shields,there are approx 10 nests at all stages of development,some just building new nests,others with newly hatched chicks.I knew Kittiwakes were hanging around the pier for some time but this is the first time I've noticed any breeding activity.Pat

 

[Ross Ahmed]

Does anybody know for how long the Kittiwake has been nesting on the pier at South Shields,there are approx 10 nests at all stages of development,some just building new nests,others with newly hatched chicks.I knew Kittiwakes were hanging around the pier for some time but this is the first time I've noticed any breeding activity.Pat

They've always hung round there during summer but I've never known them to breed.

I rarely walk right to the end of the Pier though so I may have missed nests in the past.

Nice find though!

 

[StevieEvans]

An hour at a nowadays very poor Brasside Pond, late afternoon.

No broods of Mallard only 16 adults
No Tufted, only about 10 adults
No Ruddy Ducks seen.
No Canada geese
1 pair of GCGrebe (7pairs in early '90's).
Very few Coots <30 birds in total (30+ breeding pairs in early 90's)
Pr Swans with 4.
7 Greylags.
7 Cormorant.
only thing on the water out of the ordinary was a fem Gadwall.


30+ Longtail Tits & 2 seperate family groups of Willow tit, 1 adult Jay.
Several Garden Warblers, Blackcaps & Reed Buntings singing.
Several Butterflys including Small Heath, Small Skipper & a surprise in the form of a Speckled Wood.

Steve

 

[DaveB]

Etherley Moor and Escomb

Families of Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Carrion Crow and Magpie are visiting the garden on a daily basis.

At least one Corn Bunting was once again heard/seen singing on the wires and the trees to the rear of the house.

Chaffinch (1 female), Greenfinch (10+), Starling (10+), Woodpigeon (4+), Collared Dove (2), House Martin (10+), Swallow (2) and Swift (7+) were also seen.

Very quiet at Escomb yesterday:

A Kingfisher was seen on the River Wear along with two Black-headed Gulls.

Two Mute Swan, several Tufted Duck and four Coots were on the two ponds. Common Whitethroat (1), Chiffchaff (5), Willow Warbler (2), Garden Warbler (1), Yellowhammer (4), Linnet (3) and Reed Bunting (1 male) were also seen.

 

[StevieEvans]

A rather nice Banded Demoiselle at NZ324552 today.

John,
had several of these on the down river side of Lambton Bridge at weekend.
SE

 

[JWTodd]

John,
had several of these on the down river side of Lambton Bridge at weekend.
SE

Hi Steve,
There does seem to be a lot around the Wear! Any sightings need to be reported to the British Dragonfly Association at:

http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/frameset.htm?home&home

John

 

[harry eales]

Hi Steve,
There does seem to be a lot around the Wear! Any sightings need to be reported to the British Dragonfly Association at:

http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/frameset.htm?home&home

John

Hello John,

The BDS already knows. lol. I'm the BDS County recorder for Northumberland and Durham.

Banded Dem's are very common on many streams and along the R. Weir, where they have been known to occur for some 20 years. Now if someone found them more than a mile north of the R.Coquet that would be very interesting.

Sightings of any Dragonfly/Damselfly should be E-mailed to me :-

[email protected]

There are a few Red-veined Darters around in Durham at present and a small number of Black-tailed Skimmers. Forget those LBJ's and look for really interesting things. Remember what it says on the maps. 'Here be Dragons'

Any pictures for ID should be put into the relevant Entomological Section of Bird Forum.

Harry